Dave Stryker - Blue Soul (Feat. Bob Mintzer & WDR Big Band)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:06
Size: 136,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:40) 1. Trouble Man
(6:07) 2. Aha
(7:20) 3. What's Going On
(6:46) 4. Came To Believe
(6:57) 5. Blues Strut
(6:27) 6. When Doves Cry
(5:31) 7. Wichita Lineman
(6:07) 8. Shadowboxing
(7:06) 9. Stan's Shuffle

Bob Mintzer had an idea. The renowned tenor saxophonist, who serves as principal conductor of Cologne, Germany's world-class WDR Big Band, had made several appearances as guest artist with guitarist Dave Stryker's New York-based organ trio and was so impressed that he thought it would be a good idea to re-orchestrate some of Stryker's music for big band and invite the guitar maestro to return the favor by traveling to Germany and performing as guest artist with the WDR ensemble, an offer that Stryker accepted without pause. Was Mintzer's idea credible? In a word, yes the evidence of which abounds on the superb album Blue Soul, wherein Stryker, Mintzer and the WDR merge forces to brighten a trio of Stryker's handsome themes and others by Marvin Gaye ("Trouble Man," "What's Going On"), Prince ("When Doves Cry"), Jimmy Webb ("Wichita Lineman"), Stanley Turrentine ("Stan's Shuffle") and Mintzer's breezy "Aha." Stryker solos adroitly on every track, Mintzer on "Aha," "Stan's Shuffle" and Stryker's prancing "Blues Strut," while the WDR does its part to lend warmth and substance to every number. Stryker's other compositions, the cantering "Came to Believe" and assertive "Shadowboxing," stand out among the album's many pleasurable moments.

Stryker and organist Billy Test share blowing space on Gaye's earnest, blues-based "Trouble Man," which raises the curtain and paves the way for "Aha" and the second offering from Gaye, "What's Going On," a carefree showpiece for Stryker, Test and alto Karolina Strassmayer. A second alto, Johan Horlen, sparkles on "Came to Believe" before Stryker and Mintzer take charge on what is arguably the album's piece de resistance, the bright and irrepressible "Blues Strut." Horlen and drummer Hans Dekker undergird Stryker on the fast-paced "When Doves Cry," trombonist Andy Hunter sparkles on "Wichita Lineman," Dekker and tenor Paul Heller on "Shadowboxing," after which Stryker and Mintzer strike the ideal note on an exemplary codicil, the buoyant "Stan's Shuffle." Mintzer's idea, as it turns out, was far better than good; it was brilliant. All hands are resolute and standing firm, and Blue Soul is an appetizing entree that should command pride of place on any big-band enthusiast's menu. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-soul-dave-stryker-with-bob-mintzer-and-the-wdr-big-band-strikezone-records

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Bob Mintzer: saxophone; Wim Both: trumpet; Rob Broynen: trumpet; Andy Haderer: trumpet; : trumpet; Johan Horlen: saxophone, alto; Karolina Strassmayer: saxophone, alto; Olivier Peters: saxophone, tenor; Paul Heller: saxophone, tenor; Jens Neufang: saxophone, baritone; Ludwig Nuss: trombone; Raphael Klemm: trombone; Andy Hunter: trombone; Mattis Cederberg: trombone; Billy Test: piano; John Goldsby: bass; Hans Dekker: drums.

Blue Soul (Feat. Bob Mintzer & WDR Big Band)

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Kenny Burrell - Jazzmen Detroit

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 77,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Afternoon in Paris
(4:46)  2. You Turned the Tables on Me
(5:28)  3. Apothegm
(5:21)  4. Your Host
(5:37) 5. Cottontail
(6:40)  6. Tom's Thumb

This Savoy CD lists Kenny Burrell as session leader, but it is clearly a group effort that could easily have been attributed to Pepper Adams or pianist Tommy Flanagan. Burrell has the edge, though, in writing credits with the contribution of two tunes: the quietly assured "Your Host" and the bluesy, hard bop line "Tom's Thumb." Adams offers his leisurely, sophisticated "Apothegm" to the date. Flanagan, for his part, is pure elegance, subtlety, and swing. With the exception of drummer Kenny Clarke, all the players hail from the motor city.

Coming up through the same hometown music scene may help account for the fine group interplay. It's also apparent the musicians had the luxury of working through these six tunes before sitting down to record. The result does full justice to the fine writing and arranging and allows for thoughtfully developed improvisations. Ensemble entries are crisp and assured, as are the entrances by all soloists. Burrell favors a dry, clean attack here, while Adams reins in his more full-throated tendencies. Clarke, Flanagan, and bassist Paul Chambers support with consummate taste. The overall mood may be a bit too polite, but this remains a classy, near classic performance. There's no padding, although, at 33 minutes, the running time is brief. The sound recording is excellent.By Jim Todd  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazzmen-detroit-mw0000097797

Personnel: Kenny Burrell (guitar); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Jazzmen Detroit

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The Hot Club Of Cowtown - Rendezvous In Rhythm

Styles: Retro Swing
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:23
Size: 113,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Dark Eyes / "Ochi Chornye"
(2:36)  2. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:59)  3. Crazy Rhythm
(2:59)  4. Avalon
(4:00)  5. If I Had You
(3:48)  6. The Continental
(3:50)  7. Minor Swing
(3:59)  8. Melancholy Baby
(3:56)  9. I'm Confessin'
(3:50) 10. Sweet Sue, Just You
(3:52) 11. Slow Boat To China
(2:42) 12. Sunshine Of Your Smile
(3:28) 13. Back In Your Own Backyard
(3:22) 14. Douce Ambiance

Hot Club of Cowtown patented their style early in their career, and if they haven't found a lot of variation within their blend of hot dance music and western swing, they have nevertheless found a lot of depth within this unique fusion. Rendezvous in Rhythm, the group's 2013 album and eighth overall, is the flipside of 2010's Bob Wills salute What Makes Bob Holler, focusing entirely on jazz standards often heard in the south of France. In some ways, this underplays the "cowtown" element of the Hot Club, but there's a looseness in the rhythms that is ever so slightly western, plus, by this point, the trio is so fluid in blurring the boundaries between swing and western swing, it doesn't much matter that this album doesn’t have much in the way of country. 

Every one of the three members fiddler Elana James, guitarist Whit Smith, bassist Jake Erwin get space to spill out lyrical solos and they truly seem to cherish playing these familiar melodies, savoring their lyrical turns as well as the group's familiar but lively interplay. Similarly, listeners will find this comfortable but not complacent, as the trio cooks with some serious heat on these beloved tunes. And don't say the Hot Club's version of "Slow Boat to China" cashes in on the song's appearance in Paul Thomas Anderson's cryptic 2012 film The Master this album was recorded in July of 2012, long before anybody would have known Philip Seymour Hoffman bid farewell to Joaquin Phoenix with the tune at the movie's conclusion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/rendezvous-in-rhythm-mw0002430771

Rendezvous In Rhythm

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Buddy Rich - Speak No Evil

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1976
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 40:57
Size: 38,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:47) 1. Speak No Evil
(5:40) 2. Yearnin' Learnin'
(6:37) 3. Medley: Storm At Sunup
(4:26) 4. Medley: Love Me Now
(6:02) 5. Fight The Power
(3:58) 6. Games People Play
(3:07) 7. Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady)
(3:24) 8. Sneakin' Up Behind You
(3:51) 9. How Long (Betcha Got A Chick)

Released in 1976, Buddy Rich's Speak No Evil is one of the most unusual dates in his long career. For starters, it was produced and arranged by the legendary Richard Evans, house producer and arranger at Chess Records' Cadet imprint. Amazingly enough, this set comes off beautifully as a funky, soulful jazz date. And for a change, it seems, Rich allowed his producer to do his job without inserting himself at every turn.

Some jazz fans may write off the date simply because the great drummer is decked out in kung fu garb and is sporting a pair of nunchucks on the back cover. That's too bad for them, because this one is a killer. As usual, Rich surrounded himself with some of the great soloists and session players available for the date saxophonists Joe Farrell, Steve Marcus, Dave Tofani, and Turk Mauro; trumpeters Lew Soloff and Jon Faddis; bassist Bob Cranshaw; guitarist Ross Traut (who co-produced the session with Evans); and Kenny Barron on electric piano amidst the other brass and percussion and trio of female backing vocalists including Vivian Cherry, Lani Groves, and Rhetta Hughes.

The program walks a free-flowing line between funky and progressive big-band jazz, sophisticated pop, and soulful instrumental tunes that border on disco (especially the Natalie Cole-Chuck Jackson tune "Sophisticated Lady [She's a Different Lady]"), but for the most part stays on the funk side of the street. The program features some of the bigger tunes of the day, including a burning, break-laden rendition of the Isley Brothers' "Fight the Power," Gino Vanelli's "Storm at Sunup," the Spinners' "Games People Play," and the Pointer Sisters' "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick)." The charts are simply infectious. Evans, scoring for the popping bass and guitar-driven rhythm section, is always at the core.

Add Barron's smoking choppy Fender Rhodes lines and you have a bottom the drummer (who is amazingly restrained here) can play off of. Evans gives plenty of solo space to the principals while keeping things taut and grooving check out the Brecker Brothers' "Sneakin' Up Behind You," with killer breaks by Rich and a rubbery bassline by Cranshaw. The counterpoint in the horn chart between trombones and trumpets is virally infectious. Rich may not have scored commercially with this set at the time, but it has become a favorite of beat hunters since the dawn of sampling. Speak No Evil was released finally on CD by Wounded Bird in 2008.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/speak-no-evil-mw0000786612

Speak No Evil

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Sherrie Maricle & The Diva Jazz Orchestra - TNT: A Tommy Newsom Tribute

Styles: Big Band

Year: 2005

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:14

Size: 147,5 MB

Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Titter Pipes

(6:43)  2. Pensativa

(7:55)  3. Three Shades Of Blue

(4:56)  4. Moonlight (What A Little Moonlight Can Do)

(9:03) 5. Nat Cole Medley (Mona Lisa/Nature Boy/Straighten Up & Fly Right/Route 66)

(5:31)  6. Too Late Now

(6:20)  7. Trail Mix (On The Trail/Surrey With The Fringe On Top)

(6:32)  8. Remember Medley (Remember/I Remember You)

(7:19)  9. Come Sunday

(5:27) 10. Red Door

TNT is the fifth album by the explosive New York-based all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra, blending a contemporary mainstream big band sound with a progressive flavor. Founded by a former relief drummer for the Buddy Rich Big Band, Stanley Kay, the fifteen piece big band has been under the direction of bandleader/drummer Dr. Sherrie Maricle for the last several years. Whether in the studio or in concert, the group has drawn critical acclaim for its play. This record is a tribute to composer/arranger Tommy Newsom, who provided all of the arrangements and two original charts. "Titter Pipes," the opening swinging number, highlights a chase between Scheila Gonzalez on tenor sax and Karolina Strassmayer on alto. The other Newsom chart is "Three Shades of Blue," a slow and bluesy piece. Of the other pieces on the album, Claire Fischer's "Pensativa" is one of the most delicious. Strassmayer shows her range with a flute solo, followed by a moving run on the piano by Chihiro Yamanaka, backed up by bassist Noriko Ueda. Anat Cohen takes center stage on clarinet with the Billie Holiday favorite "Moonlight," played in a New Orleans/Dixieland style.

The "Nat Cole Medley" is a cleverly crafted musical collage of melodies and harmonies with a playful version of "Straighten Up and Fly Right" that finds the band on vocals. Barbara Larangona provides one memorable performance with her emotional flugelhorn solo on the slow and mellow "Too Late Now." I did not particularly care for the heavy trombone statements in the beginning of "Trail Mix," which is mostly a matter of taste. Scheila Gonzalez delivers a passion-filled baritone sax solo on "Remember Medley." The finale, "Red Door," is another swinging number that simmers with a torrid pace and features Maricle's powerful drumming. In appraising the album I would give an "F" for the color selection in the liner notes, whose lack of contrast makes for difficult reading. Musically, this is an exciting, entertaining, and thoroughly enjoyable CD that warrants a grade of "F" for many things: (F)ine arrangements by Newsom, superbly interpreted by the (F)abulous musicianship of a (F)irst-class all-(F)emale extraordinary big band that plays with (F)inesse, (F)reshness, and (F)ire.By Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tnt-a-tommy-newsom-tribute-sherrie-maricle-lightyear-entertainment-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: drums; Chihiro Yamanaka: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Karolina Srassmayer, Leigh Pilzer, Anat Cohen, Scheila Gonzalez, Lisa Parrot: saxophone; Leisi Whitaker, Barbara Larangona, Tanya Darby, Jamie Dauber: trumpet; Deborah Weisz, Jen Krupa, Leslie Havens: trombone.

TNT: A Tommy Newsom Tribute

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Nat Birchall - Songs Of The Ancestors Afro Trane Chapter 2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 35,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:37) 1. One For The Son (For Pharoah)
(5:57) 2. Ogunde Uarerre
(9:24) 3. Song Of The Ancestors
(5:29) 4. The Drum Thing
(9:53) 5. Africa
(5:12) 6. Sun In Libra

This is the fifth of Nat’s “one-semble” recordings where he plays all the instruments himself. This album celebrates our collective ancestors, in particular the ones who carried the Music in their bones and blood and spread it around the Earth, from the earliest times until now.

Music crosses continents and cultures and time itself, and when it speaks of the truth it transcends musical genealogy, and continues a timeline from the earliest sources up to the present day. The music in the album is inspired by many things but particularly the master musicians John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Cedric Brooks and Count Ossie. https://www.deejay.de/nat.birchall
.

Songs Of The Ancestors Afro Trane Chapter 2

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Deborah Silver - Glitter & Grits

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:26) 1. I got rhythm
(3:27) 2. That old black magic
(4:40) 3. I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
(3:44) 4. After you've gone
(3:06) 5. Ballin' the jack
(2:34) 6. Almost like being in love
(3:19) 7. Get happy
(2:57) 8. Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
(3:44) 9. Embraceable you
(3:18) 10. Bill Bailey, won't you please come home
(2:44) 11. Don't get around much anymore
(3:17) 12. Fly me to the moon
(3:02) 13. Deep in the heart of Texas

I love a good surprise (except for being scared, a favorite pastime of my spouse) and the new Deborah Silver album GLITTER AND GRITS is one of the most pleasant and unexpected of surprises I've had in awhile. I guess the title should have given it away, but I truly wasn't prepared for the rock-a-billy vibe to the CD when you think about standards and Silver, you have your mind pretty much set on something a little more traditional. This is traditional alright traditional Texas swing, man! Oh my GOSH, is it refreshing! From Deborah's opening Gershwin tune, you'll have your fingers snapping and your toes tapping, and if you're not dancing within the first 90 seconds, then you're missing out on something that can only be described as pure fun. And, kids, I WAS dancing and I was at the gym, so put that picture in your head, why don't you? Do yourself the favor of allowing yourself to dance... even if you're at the gym.

Glitter and Grits is a totally appropriate title for the CD because Deborah Silver is rarely seen (in a professional capacity) in anything less than seamlessly crafted glamor, and there is no doubt that the woman has grit. An individual as a person and as a talent, Silver is also a warrior who survived a 58-day isolation with Covid-19, emerging to release the Ray Benson-produced CD. Mr. Benson, famed for an impressive artistic legacy in which he and his band ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL have earned ten Grammy Awards, has created arrangements and orchestrations to which jazz diva Silver takes as though she was born and raised in the land of cowboy boots, Mums, and grits N gravy. Without sacrificing one iota of the jazz efficacy for which she is famous, Deborah gets right down into the Southern sound, no hesitation, no tentative tendencies, she gets into it, and she gets down with it, and (I cannot stress this enough) it is incredible. It would not be a far reach to think that the team on Glitter And Grits might join forces for another album in the future, because, although they might not have dreamed of a partnership of this nature, what they have here is too special to leave at just one album.

The canon of standards that people call The Great American Songbook (a distinction that grows more, and grows more vague, with each passing year) holds specific and personal connections in the hearts and minds of every person who listens to songs like "Embraceable You" and "That Old Black Magic"; whatever their age, whatever the reason they first found this brand of music, everybody loves it for a reason that is all their own. What about the people who don't usually listen to Judy Garland and don't know the song "Get Happy"? There are country music fans who probably never heard "Almost Like Being In Love" before. Well, this CD is a perfect way to introduce those people to incredible works of art from the history of songwriting, just like there are jazz listeners and Deborah Silver fans who are going to be introduced to Texas Swing and this dude Ray Benson, who they never heard of before, and, as a result, have their own musical tastes altered. I'll be doggoned if Deborah Silver isn't only delivering to the public some damn fine music, she is providing a service by bridging a gap for lovers of different genres of music, educating folks a little, and expanding peoples' level of experience. I can't think of a sweeter way to broaden your mind and your artistic tastes.

Mr. Benson and co. are doing work on this CD that is beyond reproach; you could actually take out all of Deborah's vocal tracks and you would have a heck of an enjoyable album. Take my word for it: removing Deborah's voice from the tracks would be a mistake of epic proportion. Golly Gee Moses, is this lady special. You know how sometimes you can listen to a singer who has a gorgeous voice but you're not really sure what emotion is being conveyed, IF any emotion is being conveyed? That's not Deborah Silver. The quality of the voice is exquisite: you can tell that, even without training, this would be a pretty voice - I mean, if you were standing next to her at a party singing Happy Birthday, you would think "What a pretty voice." The thing is, though, pretty voice aside, not only has Silver had training, she has an innate instinct for styling and performance, a showomanship that serves the audience, and she has a kinship that serves the music, whether it's a cheeky "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself a Letter" or a down home "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home" (come on, Mama!). Then she layers in the emotion, and even though the upbeat Southern nature of the cd doesn't leave a lot of room for ballads with all the moony romantic feels, every single track here still touches the place in your heart where you can tell that Deborah Silver was smiling while recording. She was having fun. She was enjoying life.~ Stephen Mosher https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/BWW-CD-Review-Deborah-Silver-GLITTER-AND-GRITS-Swings-Sings-and-Shines-Like-Stars-In-a-Texas-Sky-20201023

Glitter & Grits

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Hot Club of Cowtown - Swingin' Stampede

Styles: Swing
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:54) 1. I Had Someone Else
(3:17) 2. You Can't Break My Heart
(1:42) 3. Red Bird
(3:02) 4. Chinatown, My Chinatown
(3:24) 5. Just Friends
(3:06) 6. Ida Red
(3:06) 7. Silver Dew On the Blue Grass Tonight
(2:12) 8. Somebody Loves Me
(3:02) 9. My Confession
(2:03) 10. Snowflake Reel
(2:55) 11. End of the Line
(2:55) 12. T and J Waltz
(2:34) 13. Sweet Jenny Lee (2:15) 14. Mission To Moscow

On this, their debut, the Hot Club of Cowtown jump out of the gate like a fired-up, pared down version of the Texas Playboys. A trio, their playing is light and assured, full of grins. What guitarist Whit Smith and fiddler Elana Fremerman lack in vocal prowess they make up for with honest chops and spirit. Swingin' Stampede captures the ambience of old-timey swing nearly to perfection. By Jim Smith
https://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-stampede-mw0000042562

Personnel: Whit Smith - Vocals, Guitar, Producer; Elana Fremerman - Vocals, Fiddle, Producer, Billy Horton - Backup Vocals, Upright Bass, Producer; Johnny Gimble - Fiddle (Tracks 1, 4, 8, 14); T Jarrod Bonta - Piano (Tracks 8, 10); Jeremy Wakefield - Steel Guitar (Tracks 8, 10); Mike Maddux - Accordion (Track 7).

Swingin' Stampede

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The Diva Jazz Orchestra - The Diva Jazz Orchestra Swings Broadway

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:32
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:48) 1. Heart
(6:38) 2. Pure Imagination
(5:44) 3. The Man I Love
(7:12) 4. With Every Breath I Take
(6:06) 5. The Sound of Music
(6:29) 6. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
(5:17) 7. Seventy-Six Trombones
(7:18) 8. Love Who You Love
(8:55) 9. Get Me to the Church On Time

At the ripe old age of thirty (closer to a hundred in big-band years), the superlative New York-based, all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra remains as frisky as a newborn colt, swinging up, down and around Broadway with abandon on its thirteenth album, a brisk and colorful tribute to the Great White Way that shines brightly from start to finish.

The album opens and closes in a mid-1950s vein, raising the curtain with Steven Feifke's breezy, well-grooved arrangement of "Heart" from Damn Yankees (1955) and ringing it down with a spirited battle of alto saxophones (Mercedes Beckman, Alexa Tarantino) on Scott Whitfield's full-throttle treatment of Get Me to the Church on Time from Lerner and Loewe's classic My Fair Lady (1956). Drummer and music director Sherrie Maricle has the last word on that flag-waver, taking her only extended solo before brass and reeds append a boisterous exclamation point.

Whitfield, a trombonist himself, deftly arranged "Seventy-Six Trombones" from Meredith Willson's The Music Man as a showcase for DIVA's admirable 'bone section (Jennifer Krupa, Sara Jacovino, bass Leslie Havens), squeezing in a quick "trad" section that summons forth clarinetist Roxy Coss and trumpeter Barbara Laronga before adding a brief line from the venerable "Lassus Trombone" as a coda. Coss delivers a forceful tenor solo on "Heart," as do Krupa and trumpeter Jami Dauber. Bassist Noriko Ueda takes a solo bow on the Gershwin brothers' "The Man I Love," as does Jacovino (who also arranged) on Cy Coleman's seductive ballad, "With Every Breath I Take," from City of Angels.

Coss, Dauber and Maricle share blowing space on baritone saxophonist Leigh Pilzer's buoyant samba version of "Pure Imagination" from Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley's delightful score for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the first of two splendid charts by Pilzer who spreads a Basie-style canopy over Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," on which she solos with Ueda and pianist Tomoko Ohno. Ueda arranged a second R&H masterpiece, "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,'" from Oklahoma! (sturdy solos courtesy of Ohno, flugel Rachel Therrien and tenor Laura Dreyer), while Scott Silbert uses his impressive orchestral talents to score the enchanting "Love Who You Love" from A Man of No Importance (spotlighting Ohno, Laronga on flugelhorn and Tarantino on soprano sax).

DIVA has a proud history of swinging, on Broadway and everywhere else, and this latest example of its mastery warrants a gold star, blue ribbon, laurel wreath, feather in the cap, or any other commendation a superlative ensemble deserves. To put it another way, Swings Broadway is emphatically recommended.

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: Music Director, drum set; Tomoko Ohno: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Alexa Tarantino: soprano/alto saxophones, flute; Mercedes Beckman: soprano/alto saxophones, flute; Roxy Coss: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Laura Dreyer: soprano/tenor saxophones, clarinet; Leigh Pilzer: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, flute; Liesl Whitaker: lead trumpet, flugelhorn; Jami Dauber: trumpet, flugelhorn; Rachel Therrien: trumpet, flugelhorn; Barbara Laronga: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Sara Jacovino: trombone; Leslie Havens: bass trombone; Annette Aguilar: guest percussionist on tracks 2 & 6

The Diva Jazz Orchestra Swings Broadway

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Nancy Sinatra - Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:17
Size: 179,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:52) 1. The City Never Sleeps At Night
(2:51) 2. The Last Of The Secret Agents
(3:04) 3. My Baby Cried All Night Long
(2:17) 4. Shades
(2:38) 5. In Our Time
(2:36) 6. Love Eyes
(2:48) 7. Rockin' Rock and Roll
(3:02) 8. This Town
(2:26) 9. Tony Rome
(2:32) 10. 100 Years
(3:04) 11. See The Little Children
(2:17) 12. Something Pretty
(2:55) 13. Do I Hear A Waltz
(3:20) 14. Drummer Man
(3:12) 15. Zodiac Blues
(3:28) 16. Highway Song
(3:41) 17. Are You Growing Tired Of My Love
(2:22) 18. Flowers In The Rain
(3:57) 19. Glory Road
(2:48) 20. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:43) 21. Easy Evil
(3:24) 22. Sugar Me
(2:35) 23. Kinky Love
(4:29) 24. Dolly and Hawkeye
(2:44) 25. I Just Can't Help Believing

*Light in the Attic* continues to celebrate the influential career of singer, actress, activist, and icon *Nancy Sinatra* with a captivating new collection, *Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978*.

Exploring the lesser-known gems from Sinatra's rich catalog through *25 B-sides, rare singles, covers, demos, and previously-unreleased recordings*, *Keep Walkin'* was remastered by the *GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin* and available in a variety of formats, including *vinyl, CD, 8-track, and digital*.By Editorial Reviews
www.amazon.com/Keep-Walkin-Singles-Rarities-1965-1978/dp/B0CGMQ3FWH

Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978

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Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Borrowed Roses

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:42) 1. Chelsea Bridge
(4:36) 2. Summertime
(4:22) 3. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:04) 4. Take Five
(6:20) 5. Here There And Everywhere
(4:11) 6. Windows
(6:41) 7. Lush Life
(5:09) 8. Night And Day
(6:19) 9. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:25) 10. Very Early
(2:37) 11. Do It Again
(6:30) 12. Shape Of My Heart

While many men and women approach their sixtieth birthday with visions of retirement, pianist and iconoclast Gonzalo Rubalcaba, with his perceptive ear for folk dance and dense improvisation, moves as far as possible from the idea of retirement and attains another peak of perfection on Borrowed Roses.

Unlike his previous head-turning, stylistic solo recordings the Latin Grammy-winning Solo (Blue Note, 2005) and the spirit cleansing Fe Faith (5Passion, 2019) Borrowed Roses contemplates popular song and standards.

Coming off yet another Grammy win for Skyline (5Passion, 2022), a highly distinguished trio outing with Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, Rubalcaba, avowed that music, like imagination and creativity, is never a static thing. He focuses his formidable interpretative prowess on two melodic Billy Strayhorn gems, "Chelsea Bridge" and "Lush Life," centering the melodies within themselves, choosing not to buoy them with the rich harmonic accents which made the originals memorable. That is not to imply in any way that Rubalcaba's approach and playing is anything less than memorable.

Taken back to back, and guided by the lyrical flow, two George Gershwin classics, "Summertime" and "Someone To Watch Over Me," become of one piece, each glorying in the external (the season of the sun) and the internal (the season of longing). Perhaps not an original pairing (given the many times each has been performed down the decades) but certainly an inspiring one, and one which spotlights Rubalcaba's intricate delicacy and determination.

If it were not for the instant familiarity of Paul Desmond's game-changing "Take Five," this performance could be taken as one of the pianist's own time-defying compositions, his coordination and solo improvs holding court. More and more jazz players are recognizing the depth and durability of the John Lennon-Paul McCartney songbook, guaranteeing future years of great music; the pianist takes his place among the true interpreters, translating the emotional core of "Here, There, and Everywhere" with a clarity which a surviving Beatle might marvel at. Rubalcaba muses and expands on Chick Corea "Windows;" conjures and calls onBill Evans with "Very Early," and closes the regal Borrowed Roses with the hushed elegance of Sting's understated ballad "The Shape of My Heart."By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/borrowed-roses-gonzalo-rubalcaba-top-side-music

Personnel: Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Piano

Borrowed Roses

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Pepper Adams - The Adams Effect

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:12
Size: 112.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1985/2007
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Binary
[6:56] 2. Now In Our Lives
[5:45] 3. Valse Celtique
[6:22] 4. Dylan's Delight
[7:01] 5. How I Spent The Night
[7:26] 6. Claudette's Way
[8:43] 7. Now In Our Lives

Baritonist Pepper Adams' final album as a leader (he died 14 months later) matches him with tenor saxophonist Frank Foster, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Hart for five of his straight-ahead if occasionally complex originals plus Foster's "How I Spent The Night." Adams still sounded in prime form at the time and, even if none of his tunes became standards, they served as strong and diverse vehicles for the musicians' improvisations. A fine effort by a classic baritone saxophonist.By Scott Yanow

The Adams Effect

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Jeri Southern - Jeri's Velvet Voice

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 99,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:41) 1. Kiss and Run
(2:08) 2. Run
(2:35) 3. Bells Are Ringing
(2:37) 4. Speak Softly to Me
(2:57) 5. Candlelight Conversation
(2:51) 6. Forgive and Forget
(2:32) 7. We're Not Children
(3:03) 8. Autumn in My Heart
(2:36) 9. I Waited So Long
(3:00) 10. You Better Go Now
(2:44) 11. The Touch of Love
(3:11) 12. The Ruby and the Pearl
(3:08) 13. The Man That Got Away
(3:11) 14. Don't Explain
(3:02) 15. Nothing at All

A converted piano player and vocal coach, Jeri Southern became one of the most underrated jazz vocal interpreters of the 1950s despite a voice regarded as subpar. Transforming a potential failing into her prime strength, Southern was devastatingly effective at delivering songs charting the downhill romantic life of world-weary everywoman characters. After recording for Decca, Roulette, Capitol and Jasmine during the 1950s though, she abruptly retired after growing tired of the music industry.

Born in rural Nebraska, Jeri Southern played piano by ear at the age of three and began formal lessons three years later. She studied classical piano and voice at a school in Omaha, but after an introduction to jazz at a local nightclub, Southern quickly changed her focus. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and began making appearances at clubs during the late '40s, occasionally supporting Anita O'Day. Convinced to begin singing as well, Southern abandoned her classical training and began singing in a voice just several steps removed from her speaking voice.

After signing to Decca in 1951, her first hit, "You Better Go Now," established her style lyrically focused, somewhat desultory, and definitely lovesick, the style of singing often called (for better or worse) torch songs. Her decidedly unflashy voice lent additional weight to the lyrical concerns of other Southern favorites like "I Don't Know Where to Turn," "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "If I Had You." She also had a moderate hit in 1954 with "Joey" and toured with the Birdland Jazz Stars of 1957. Southern's LPs of the '50s for Decca utilized mostly small groups in an era of large orchestras, including top-flight jazz-pop names like Ralph Burns, Dave Barbour and Marty Paich.

After Southern recorded two LPs for Roulette during 1958, she moved to Capitol for her most celebrated album, 1959's Jeri Southern Meets Cole Porter, arranged by Billy May. She recorded only one additional LP for Capitol (live at the Crescendo) before retiring in 1961, disgusted at the state of traditional pop. She married several times, raised a family and worked as a piano/vocal coach in Hollywood until her death (from double pneumonia) in 1991. She was booked for her first studio time in years at the time of her death.by John Bush
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeri-southern-mn0000324819/biography

Jeri's Velvet Voice

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Mundell Lowe - Blues for a Stripper

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:18
Size: 73,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:30) 1. Blues for a Stripper
(3:25) 2. From Mundy On
(2:15) 3. Montage
(3:33) 4. Coffee, Coffee
(3:41) 5. The Lost and the Lonely
(2:28) 6. Pattern of Evil
(3:30) 7. Satan in High Heels
(2:54) 8. East Side Drive
(3:33) 9. Lake in the Woods
(2:25) 10. The Long Knife

The music on this big-band date led by guitarist Mundell Lowe has a somewhat confusing history, since it was initially released as the soundtrack to the low-budget film Satan in High Heels and later reissued as Blues for a Stripper. The ten originals are written, arranged, and conducted by Lowe, with a formidable all-star big band that includes Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Newman, Al Cohn, Oliver Nelson, and Eddie Costa.

His brief sketches are enjoyable, running the gamut of bop, hard bop, cool, and swing, though none of them makes a lasting impression. Sadly, none of the soloists is identified and the solos are too brief to make it obvious who is playing, though Costa takes several excellent solos on vibes. This LP, issued on the Charlie Parker label, is a bit of an obscurity that is worth searching for. By Ken Dryden
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-a-stripper-mw0000350724

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods; Baritone Saxophone – Gene Allen, Sol Schlinger; Bass – George Duvivier; Drums – Ed Shaughnessy; Guitar – Mundell Lowe; Piano, Vibraphone – Eddie Costa; Saxophone – Al Cohn, Al Klink, Ray Beckenstein, Walter Levinsky; Saxophone, Flute – Walter Levinsky; Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn, Oliver Nelson; Trombone – George "Buster" Cooper*, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green; Trumpet – Bernie Glow, Clark Terry, Carl Severinsen*, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman

Blues for a Stripper

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Garrison Fewell - Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Styles: Guitar Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 52:11

Size: 122,3 MB

Art: Front

(6:02)  1. Are You Afraid Of The Dark

(6:27)  2. X-Ray Vision

(4:32)  3. Song Of Her

(8:58  4. Journey To The East 1. The Silk Road 2. Statue

(1:51)  5. The 34 Suite Homage À Ravel

(5:12)  6. The 34 Suite Crossing The Border

(5:43)  7. Ten Directions

(7:17)  8. Alto Blues

(6:06)  9. The Tower Of Kazimierz

One of guitarist Garrison Fewell's main teachers was Pat Martino and one can certainly hear a bit of Martino's searching style on this release, Fewell's second for Accurate. In addition, Fewell's world travels (including lengthy trips to the Middle East and Asia) and his interest in folk music from other countries is sometimes hinted at but in general the program (all but two of the nine selections are his originals) is straightahead modern jazz. Joined by the talented pianist Laslo Gardony, the great veteran bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Matt Wilson, Garrison Fewell performs a well-rounded set of high-quality and consistently swinging music, alternating romps with ballads.By Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark-mw0000174493

Personnel: Garrison Fewell (guitar); Laszlo Gardony (piano); Cecil McBee (bass); Matt Wilson (drums).

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

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The New Couriers - Brazilian Thoroughfare

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:57
Size: 156,1 MB
Art: Front

(13:24) 1. The Chant
(14:21) 2. New Delhi
(11:45) 3. Falling in Love
(15:14) 4. Brazilian Thoroughfare
(13:11) 5. You and the Night and the Music

Since the original late-50s Jazz Couriers, led by the sax duo of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, would regularly mix Latin dance-shuffles with insane-tempo bebop, this new title from the Couriers' devoted tribute band was a bit worrying. But New Couriers regulars need have no fear, right from the opening outburst of the late Victor Feldman's hard-boppish.

The Chant, with the precise, bluesy bluster of the excellent Mornington Lockett's tenor solo hurtling upwards over the propulsion of drummer-leader Martin Drew's irresistible hi-hat snaps. Vibraphonist Jim Hart's limpid lines make a fine solo contrast, and the whole band is marshalled and cajoled by the thoughtful Steve Melling on piano and the steady purr of Paul Morgan's immaculate bass-playing.

Three of the tunes are Feldman's (along with Dave Holland and John McLaughlin, he was one of the Englishmen who caught Miles Davis's ear), and if Steve Melling's Latin title track doesn't really sustain either the Feldman incisiveness or his own pianistic inventiveness, the closing You and the Night and the Music is right in the old Couriers' hyper bop ball park.
By John Fordham https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/30/new-couriers-brazilian-thoroughfare-review

Personnel: Vibraphone – Jim Hart; Double Bass – Paul Morgan; Drums – Martin Drew; Piano – Steve Melling; Saxophone – Mornington Locket

Brazilian Thoroughfare

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Michael Dease - Out To Dinner - Different Flavors

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:55
Size: 125,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:18) 1. Day Zero
(3:54) 2. Magic Square
(5:44) 3. Blue Sojourn
(3:34) 4. Skittles
(6:25) 5. Night Glow
(5:05) 6. Pay The Piper
(5:58) 7. Rio
(7:53) 8. Spun Around
(4:24) 9. Grave Concerns
(5:35) 10. Two Down

Listeners everywhere are invited to join the fun with the Out To Dinner band and audition a variety of their “Different Flavors.” Our trusty producer Marc Free continues on an ambitious course of cooking up a visionary series of demand building releases. This latest project features a musical menu of inspired presentations from a curated group with unique instrumentation.

It also prompts listeners to expand their sonic palettes to include this adventurous exploration of the jazz genre. This engagingly enjoyable album is a stellar quintet date featuring front line performances from vibraphonist Behn Gillece, trombonist Michael Dease and saxophonist Tim Green moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation of bassist Boris Kozlov and the explosive metrics of drummer Rudy Royston. With the menu full of “Different Flavors,” we are confident that the collaborative journey of Out To Dinner will bring delight to the ears of every jazz fan and hopefully encourage navigation steadily away from the known and familiar and towards the uncharted depths of modern collective improvisation.
https://www.posi-tone.com/otd/otd.html

Personnel: Michael Dease - trombone; Behn Gillece - vibraphone; Tim Green - alto saxophone; Boris Kozlov - bass; Rudy Royston - drums

Different Flavors

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Linda Woodson - Proper Companion

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:42
Size: 73,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Proper Companion
(4:26) 2. Stay
(3:52) 3. Feeling Coy
(4:49) 4. New Day
(3:29) 5. Take You There
(3:38) 6. Tell Me What's on Your Mind
(2:27) 7. I'm In
(4:17) 8. Everybody Wants the Same Thing

Linda Woodson is a singer/songwriter/actor. She has completed 3 cd projects featuring many of her original songs as well as jazz standards which can be found on digital downloading sites.

Linda has performed around town at venues such as The Gatsby Supper Club, the Italian American Club and The Nevada Room. In her spare time she’s a dermatologist with a private practice in Las Vegas and Henderson.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uCpuwAhqGU

Proper Companion

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The Barbara Carroll Trio - Why Not?

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:15
Size: 74,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. Later
(2:08)  2. You're Here Again
(2:00)  3. The Black Cat
(2:16)  4. Theme for a Starlet
(2:48)  5. Champagne Velvet
(3:00)  6. B's Flat Blues
(3:06)  7. Why Not?
(3:05)  8. Misty Morning
(2:50)  9. Dark Noon
(2:53) 10. Would It Be the Same
(3:16) 11. Lonely Night
(1:49) 12. Chevy's Chase

In the year 2005, Barbara Carroll could boast that she has began playing piano for a grand total of 75 years. Not without a pause to sleep and eat, obviously, but with a determination that might suggest such extremes. Born Barbara Carole Coppersmith, she began the instrument at only five-years-old and went on to classical training three years later, eventually graduating from the New England Conservatory. In terms of professional stagecraft, her initial training ground was a USO tour during the second World War in which she was part of an all-girl trio. This was quickly followed by leading her own trio on New York City's famous lane of jazz, 52nd Street, where she adopted her middle name of Carole as a stage name. The pianist was associated with such fine players as guitarist Chuck Wayne and bassist Clyde Lombardi, but what would develop into an extensive discography began in 1949 with a recording session backing up multi-instrumentalist Eddie Shu for the Rainbow label.

Among female piano players, Carroll is known as the first to venture into the progressive bebop style that was especially associated with Bud Powell.

Unlike the infamous Billy Tipton, Carroll also did not think it was necessary to hide the fact that she was a woman in jazz but this was New York City, not Oklahoma or Washington state. Not that Carroll had an easy time in a genre dominated by men. "People tended to put you down before they ever heard you," she has commented in interviews. "If you were a girl piano player, the tendency was to say: 'Oh, how could she possibly play?' You never even got a chance to present what you could do. But then, if you did prove yourself, it almost became a commercial asset, in a sense; you were regarded as unique."

One audience that found Carroll to their liking was the high society crowd, becoming enamored with her during an extended run at the ultra-chic Embers supper club. Her group at the latter venue included the bassist Joe Shulman, whom she married in 1954. Carroll did not ignore the pop styles of subsequent decades, yet always managed to keep a strong jazz flavor present in whatever material she performed. If swing was a bay leaf, it would be said that Carroll has a large bush growing right outside her kitchen window. She has recorded for many of the best labels in the genre including Verve and Atlantic and continues to be in demand at clubs and cabarets. Carroll works as an actress on occasion, such as the Broadway play entitled Me and Juliet. ~ Eugene Chadbourne  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barbara-carroll-mn0000788256/biography

Why Not?

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Nina Simone - Emergency Ward

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:05
Size: 78,2 MB
Art: Front

(18:43) 1. My Sweet Lord/Today Is a Killer
( 4:12) 2. Poppies
(11:09) 3. Isn't It A Pity

This unusual record from 1972 is Nina Simone's statement on the Vietnam War. The cover is a collage of news clippings from the conflict, and the song selection and arrangement, though dealing with matters more spiritual than political, reflect the events of the day. The entire first side consists of a powerhouse medley of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and a poem by David Nelson called "Today Is a Killer," set to music by Simone. The Harrison song is transformed into a sweaty gospel workout that takes its rhythm from the Capitols' "Cool Jerk" and its call-and-response vocal arrangement from the Reverend James Cleveland. Simone artfully alternates the celebratory romp with slow, somber passages featuring her improvised lyrics and passages from the Nelson poem. Even as it passes the 18-minute mark, the medley never loses power, and it remains one of Simone's finest moments. 

After the triumph of the first side, the flip is only a slight letdown. "Poppies" is melodically vague, but Simone's strong delivery sells it, while George Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity" gets an intense, drawn-out treatment, mostly featuring just Simone's piano and voice. The cover of Emergency Ward! claims it was recorded in concert, but only the first side appears to be live, and even that is riddled with sloppy edits. Though it is one of the stranger records in the Simone oeuvre, Emergency Ward! is consistently thrilling. 

By Mark Richardson; http://www.allmusic.com/album/emergency-ward!-mw0000371066

Emergency Ward

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